This statement outlines our actions and activities in 2020 regarding efforts to combat slavery and human trafficking within our business and supply chain and is provided to comply with the Modern Slavery Act.
Our Business
Discovery, Inc. is a global leader in real life entertainment, serving a passionate audience of superfans around the world with content that inspires, informs and entertains. Available in 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Discovery is a platform innovator, reaching viewers on all screens and services, from linear, free-to-air and pay–TV channels to digital products and streaming services, to social and mobile-first content and formats. Discovery’s portfolio of premium brands includes Discovery Channel, HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, and the forthcoming multi-platform JV with Chip and Joanna Gaines, Magnolia Network, as well as OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network in the U.S., Play Sports Network in the United Kingdom, Discovery Kids in Latin America, and Eurosport, the leading provider of locally relevant, premium sports and Home of the Olympic Games across Europe. As of December 31, 2020, Discovery employed a little over 10,000 people globally, of whom more than 1,000 were based in the UK.
Policies
Discovery is committed to operate with integrity and high ethical standards in all our business activities. We have a Code of Ethics that all Discovery employees, executives, officers and directors must act according to the principles set forth in the Code; this sets out the ethical conduct required of all those who work for the company. Also, we have established expectations of ethical business practices with our business partners through the Business Partner Statement of Ethics ensuring that our business partners (including suppliers and anyone who provides products, services or personnel to Discovery) adopt the same high values as we do as a company. Under the principles of the Statement of Ethics, our suppliers must adhere to the same high standards that Discovery sets itself in relation to fair and ethical business and employment practices. We recognise and respect all labour and employment laws, including health, safety and the environment and those combating improper discrimination, child and forced labour. We strive to hold our employees and business partners including suppliers to act with ethical and legal standards of business integrity. To ensure that modern slavery is not occurring within our supply chains, we make reasonable efforts to know and their work practices, including their reputations for legal compliance and respect for
human rights. We will act and discontinue relationships with suppliers and other business partners who fail to meet our high standards for lawful and ethical conduct as expressed in our Code and Statement of Ethics. Discovery offers its EthicsPoint hotline to employees, customers, suppliers and members of the general public with a mechanism, including on an anonymous basis (where allowed by law), to report concerns about potential ethical, legal or regulatory violations. Discovery will investigate allegations and take appropriate corrective actions.
Supply Chain and Corporate Operations
As a global media company, Discovery’s core business is in the production and distribution of media content. Discovery employs people both directly and through business partners. Our content supply chains are diverse and include commissioned content created by production companies and finished content licensed from distribution and production companies. Additionally, we have a smaller supply chain that supports our licensing business and creates consumer branded products. Discovery is committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in our supply chains or in any part of our business. We are committed to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to try to ensure that modern slavery and human trafficking is not taking place anywhere in our supply chains. We are not aware of, nor do we have any information to suggest that any inappropriate labour conditions are present in our supply chains. We apply strict and consistent standards when dealing with suppliers around the world.
Risk Mitigation
In 2020, we continued to build on our existing processes to identify and mitigate modern slavery risk in the supply chain. We included anti-slavery provisions in our contracts with production companies. Also, Discovery has enhanced its contract templates by which Discovery licensees and vendors agree, represent and/or warrant that they will comply with all applicable laws and regulations concerning the manufacture of Discovery-branded product, which would include compliance with laws regarding forced labour, human trafficking and slavery.
Training
During 2020, we led a number of training and awareness sessions with senior leadership, Licensing & Consumer Products, Legal, Procurement and operational teams with the laws, rules and policies that apply to their business activities by
emphasizing Discovery’s commitment to ethical business conduct. These sessions shared education about Discovery’s third-party risk management process including how to identify high risk transactions including modern slavery. We will continue to strengthen our risk mitigation processes set out above and address any findings. This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes the Discovery group’s slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ending 31 December 2020. The Discovery group entities covered by this statement are: Discovery Communications Europe Limited; Discovery Corporate Services Limited; and Dplay Entertainment Limited.
Date: June 2021